Nintendo unveils a new line of Wii accessories

ByMatthew ShaerOctober 14, 2009

Yeah, we're with you. That white Wii remote? It's so old school. It's so faded. It's so over. What you need is a black Wiimote. Something cool. Sleek. Something to liven up your gameplay.

In essence, that's the marketing pitch from the folks at Nintendo, who today announced the roll-out of a new color for Wii accessories. (Photo at right.)

"The Wii Remote revolutionized not only how people play games, but also who plays them," Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing said in a statement. "The new color lets people customize their setup, and the controllers make great stocking stuffers for players of any age."

It's been a busy few weeks for Nintendo. The company this month unveiled “Wii Fit Plus," which includes an option to weigh your family pet, and track Rover’s fitness level alongside yours.

Meanwhile, in September, Nintendo dropped the price on its best-selling Wii console from $250 to $200, saying the new price tag would make the top-selling system “even more appealing.”

Although the Wii still regularly bests sales figures from rival Sony and Microsoft consoles, 2009 was not kind to Nintendo. According to the tracking firm NPD, Nintendo sold 277,000 Wii units in August – a 39 percent decline over the same time last year. By comparison, Microsoft sold 215,000 Xbox360 consoles in August, which marks a 10 percent increase over the previous year.